Shane and Shane has a song entitled The Answer. It speaks to what I want my heart wants to say, but what I have not been living for lately. You can listen to the song here.

I’ve tried more of me and I’ve come up dry

trading You for things, things that go away

my happiness is found in less of me and more of You

my happiness is found in less of me and more of You

i have found the answer is to love You and be loved by You alone

alright! alright! alright!

You crucify me and the world to me and i will only boast in You

alright! alright! alright!

O’ so satisfied at the thought of You

growing up in me covering everything

my happiness is found in less of me and more of You

my happiness is found in less of me and more of You

i have found the answer is to love You and be loved by You alone

You crucify me and the world to me and i will only boast in You

alright! alright! alright!

You are, You are (loved by me)

You are, You are (You’re loved by me)

So many times I try to do things on my own, and fall short of anything that I want to accomplish. I look to myself and not to Jesus, who is always there to help when you seek His face and for His glory. I know what I should do and it is what I want to do, but so many times I let my thoughts and the thoughts of Satan come into my mind and heart. They tell me to go my own way, making it seem to be the easier and quicker way of doing things. This is totally false and a complete lie, and one that Satan finds full enjoyment; when God’s children stray and go their own way. I still have hope and there is hope for you as well, those that feel the same as I do, because of the story of The Prodigal Son. God will and does take us back, when we repent and acknowledge that we need Him more than anything else.

I know I need Him to help me through this life, cause trying by myself has not gotten me far at all, maybe a little bit lower in the ground. He can and will pick me up and carry me to a place that will allow me to go on with life as I follow Him to life ever-after.

I don’t know if this happens to you or not (I’m sure it does for everyone, at different times of life), but there are times where I start to do things, like play my so-called music too loud, and start to get the feeling that I can’t hear or sense God anymore. My focus is more on what I am doing, than it is on what I could be praising God for or even relying in Him to carry me through certain situations. Focusing on either school, work, passions, hobbies, family, or friends; without setting specific time for God, will sometimes bring us to a place where it feels like we are all alone on an island or in a ditch somewhere.

These are the lyrics to one of Shane and Shane’s songs, Turn down the music. You can listen to ithere…

If you were hungry would we give you food?
If you were thirsty would we give you drink?
If you were a stranger would we let you in?What would be a song we’d sing to you when there in need?
Would it be an empty hallelujah to the king?

Turn down the musicTurn down the noise
Turn up your voice oh God and let us hear the sound
Of people broken, willing to love
Give us your heart oh God a new song rise in us

And if you were naked, would we give you clothes?
If you were an orphan would we give our home?
And if you were in prison, would we visit you?
What would be a song we’d sing to you when there in need?
Would it be an empty hallelujah to the king?

Turn down the music
Turn down the noise
Turn up your voice oh God and let us hear the sound
Of people broken, willing to love
Give us your heart oh God a new song rise in us

Let it be our worth shared
Let it be our true religionIn this world but not of it
Holding on to our confessionsLet it be your worth shared
Let it be your true religion
In this world but not of it
Holding on to our confessions

Turn down the music
Turn down the noise
Turn up your voice oh God and let us hear the sound
Of people broken, willing to love
Give us your heart oh God a new song rise inA new song rise in
A new song rise in us

Our busyness affects how God can use us or even speak to us, if… we are trying to do things on our own or not asking God each and everyday to teach us, use us, and guide us to the people and places that God wants us to be. Sometimes busyness can be done the right way, (which I couldn’t say what that would be exactly anyways) and God uses the things that you are doing for His glory. It’s when we have our own thoughts and objectives that press us away from God’s goal in our life.

My wish would be that all of us, including myself, would take the time to slow down a little bit, turn down the music of our own lives and thoughts, and listen for God’s sweet song…

Nothing is ours, nothing can be said that we have done; all of it is Christ’s and everything we have done is through the power of the Holy Spirit and given to us by God Himself. He made us in His image and for those that he calls to His kingdom, He already foreknew them before time began.

I’ll be home for Christmas, and definitely not in my dreams, but actually there! I am sure getting excited for Christmas:) Even those here in South Africa are getting excited, with all the decorations they have in the malls. But they don’t have Thanksgiving, so the only thing they can look forward to is seeing red and green and white, but probably not, only in their lights:)

I do like this song, but some people could look at this as a song singing about us and not fully about God and Jesus Christ. It is tough though to figure out what exactly are biblical songs that are directed at God and not focused too much on us as humans. This song still has a good message to it, even though it might be skewed in the focus of the song. The part I am mostly focusing on is the chorus, where it says “I called, You answered; And you came to my rescue and I, I want to be where You are.” God did come to our rescue and we should want to be where He is, but us calling Him is something I don’t believe is true. No one is going around saying “Hey God, I’m here! Help me out!” Usually, we rebell and want to do our own thing. It is not until the Holy Spirit come’s upon us and puts the regreat of what we just did. God called us, those that are His children and the elect. Our sinful natures did nothing before God sprouted a response in our soul.

This is how I think that part should go: “You called, I answered; And you came to my rescue and I, I want to be where You are.” Another thing with the song, is a lot of times Christians just sing it and never really think to understand what they are saying. “Falling on our knees; giving all we are; all we are is His; whole life in His hands; humbled we bow down; Life, world, love, God should be lifted high”. These things are huge in someone’s life, becuase of how much we want to be able to control somethings. We should be giving our alls to Him, and I even know of myself that I don’t do it all the time, but we need to keep that thinking constantly in our minds and ask God for help as well.